


Inviting Trouble

by Breenieweenie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers/Harry Potter, Crossover, F/M, Gen, Multi, harry potter/marvel avengers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2018-12-25 19:48:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12043005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breenieweenie/pseuds/Breenieweenie
Summary: Magic is dying out after the fall of Voldemort and no one can figure out why. Hermione digs deep and goes into research mode when she discovers proof of other worlds. The fact that she had to hack some secret level of the American government to do so was a risk she was willing to take. However, she didn't expect them to send an invitation asking her to come for a visit.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Much of this is thanks to BreenieWeenie who has been cheering me on and helping me with ideas. 
> 
> This is my first crossover, please be gentle.   
> Also, for this story’s purpose, it DOES take place after Civil War (so we will see some of those characters) BUT for the sake of my sanity not everything will be 100% canon.   
> We’re going to pretend that everyone is back at the tower. Bucky and Tony aren’t BFF’s but they are on speaking terms. Tony and Co helped create/build something to deprogram Bucky. Partially because Tony’s a decent guy and mostly just to prove he could. If you have any questions, please ask   
> I don’t own anything to do with Harry Potter or Marvel.

"I thought you didn't believe in woo woo stuff Hermione?" Harry asked as he looked over the notes scattered across her desk.  
  
Hermione stopped digging through her filing cabinet and looked up at him, "I don't."  
  
Harry looked at her, confused, and held up one of her notes.  
  
"Oh, that. I was doing some research," Harry snorted and didn't even try to hide his grin. Hermione rolled her eyes and grinned back good naturedly, "and I found some interesting documents and footage that claimed these men in capes were Thor and Loki." along with a host of other strange people, she thought to herself. "I thought it was a hoax but then I found some more um, enlightening, information and they seem to be the real thing. Or, that they are real and traveled here from another world via an interdimensional portal."  
  
"Who are Thor and Loki?" Harry didn't bother asking her about the portal, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.  
  
Hermione's sigh conveyed the depth of her suffering and she looked up at the ceiling as if asking the very beings she spoke of to grant her wish, "I wish Hogwarts would teach more than just what pertains to magic." she focused back on Harry, "They're Norse gods, Harry. Though, now I wonder would they still be classified as gods, or aliens? Does that negate the whole belief system...." she shook her head to clear the compounding thoughts, "anyways, I would think you'd remember from primary school."  
  
"Ah, that explains it, Norse mythology wasn't one of our course options." he teased.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, "The point is, I think this portal, the tesseract they call it, I think it could help," she hesitated and Harry put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into a hug, "I know it sounds crazy Harry, but it makes me think of The Veil and what if- what if the answer we need is on one of these other worlds?"  
  
Harry sighed deeply this time as he laid his cheek again the top of her head. He wasn't sure how he felt about her research and talk of other worlds. He knew she could take care of herself, but that didn't stop him from worrying. He also knew she wouldn't give up until she had explored everything available to her.  
  
He sighed again, stirring her curls, "Then we'd better check."  


-0-0-0-

  
Hermione should have been surprised, and maybe a small part of her was. But she had known before she hacked into the systems that there was the chance she would get caught snooping through highly classified American Government files. She had even thought at some point, if they found her, they would send to come arrest her. Or maybe have someone take her out from a distance. She wasn’t sure _what_ the American Government could do.

 

She just hadn't expected them to send such a lovely looking invitation asking her to visit.  
  
She turned the heavy invitation over in her hands, thinking over everything it represented; the choice she'd have to make. The back had an A stamped into it. She ran her fingers over the dips it made and thought things over.  
  
She could disappear.  
  
It wouldn't be the first time she'd used magic to stay off everyone's radar.  
  
Or.  
  
Or.  
  
She could accept the invitation and get the information she desperately needed to save her world.  
  
In the end, her choice wasn't really a choice at all.  


-0-0-0-

 

Harry watched Hermione pack her things. She was a flurry of motion, first here, then there. Put something in her suitcase, take it back out....  
  
"How do you know this isn't a trap?" he finally asked. The idea had been burning in the back of his mind since she'd called him on their two-way mirrors and told him about the invitation.  
  
She paused briefly and bit her lip, then started walking around her room again. "I don't. Not really. But, I can't help but wonder-" she stopped moving suddenly and Harry had to bring his eyes back to where she was instead of where they thought she would be. "They know where I am now. This," she picked up the envelope, ran her fingers gently over it and set it back down, "wasn't delivered by mail. They slipped it under my front door. If I hadn't agreed, would they have sent someone for me anyways?"  
  
Harry growled low in his throat and Hermione smiled at him.  
  
"I know. I could run, disappear like we've done before. But this way, I can find the information we need much faster."  
  
"And if it _is_ a trap?" Harry crossed his arms and waited for her answer.    
  
"Then I'll take care of them." she shrugged.  
  
"If they hurt you, they'll never be safe again." Not that he'd let it come to that. He wouldn't lose the last family he had.  
  
Hermione walked to him and wrapped him in a hug, "I know Harry." she pulled away so she could look up at him, "Do you think I'll need my swimsuit?"  


-0-0-0

  
"Director Fury."  
  
"Captain." Fury gestured at the chair in front of his desk, "I have a favor to ask you."  
  
Steve sat in the offered chair, but didn't relax. "Is this the kind of favor where I can say no?"  
  
"Only if you don't want what's best for your team."  
  
Steve raised an eyebrow, curious.  
  
"I've asked a young woman here, a witch. I'd like you to meet with her. Try and convince her that joining us would be beneficial to her. "  
  
"And would it?"  
  
"It could be. The truth is, we need her abilities on our side." Fury leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach.  
  
"Ah, she's like Wanda?"  
  
"Yes, and no."  
  
Steve grit his teeth and, not for first time, wondered if Fury would ever give him the information he needed up front. "Where was she experimented on? What are her powers?"  
  
"She wasn't and we don't know, yet. She was born with magic, far as we can tell. Just five years ago, she helped bring down a tyrant who also had magic." Fury handed him a tablet with two pictures on it. The right picture was of a young man, his features sharp and his dark eyes haunted. The left was a picture of someone Steve wasn’t really sure could be classified as a man. His face was pale and flat. His red eyes seemed to glow with fury and zeal even through the flat picture.   
  
Steve swiped at the pictures, this time the face of a young woman looked out from the screen. Her face was dirty, and he was fairly certain she had blood on her cheek. He stared at her picture, committing her face to memory before handing the tablet back, "Forgive me director, but there's no such thing as magic."  
  
Director Fury leaned forward, both hands on his desk and gaze trained on Steve, "Are you certain about that Captain?"

 

Steve looked down at the tablet still in his hand, not sure how to answer that question. Before, there were many things he wouldn't have thought real. Now…. he supposed he'd have to wait until he met her himself. “Who did you send to pick her up?”

 

“Clint and Natasha.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sooo much to everyone who has read and reviewed so far! Your excitement keeps me motivated.   
> Updates won’t always be this fast, but I’ll just and update one every week or so.   
> Per usual, I don’t own anything.

“You have the key to my flat, right?” Hermione asked Harry without looking at him. She was too busy steering her luggage through the airport terminal. She wasn't sure how long she'd be in Manhattan, but assumed at least three weeks, probably more, and had packed accordingly. The small carry-on she pulled behind her only had the essentials. A change of clothes, some books, her two-way mirror, and toiletries. If she needed anything else once she was there, she could purchase it.

“Yes Hermione.” Harry assured her, again. She'd been asking him every few minutes since he'd picked her up.

“And you have your mirror and the journal?”

“Yes Hermione. And I'll send Agatha to find you in a couple days, though since you're going overseas, I'm not sure how long it will take her to find you.”

She stopped suddenly and he almost tripped over her luggage. He looked up, they were at her gate, and from what he could see, they were already boarding.

Hermione swallowed thickly, suddenly more nervous than she had been the entire week leading up to this point. She could have gotten the licensing and used an international portkey. But at this point she didn't want to explain to these people how she’d gotten there without using the plane ticket they provided. It was even first class.

“Well, this is me.” She said, trying to infuse some cheerfulness into her voice.

Harry grabbed her elbow and pulled her around for a hug. They stood there awkwardly for a moment, her bag between them. “Mirror me the moment you land. Sneak away to the bathroom or something. Then again when you get wherever you're staying. If I don't hear from you-”

“I will and you will. It's going to be fine, Harry. If they were going to hold me captive, they wouldn't have asked.”

Harry grunted, “True,” then released her.

Hermione leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Goodbye. I'll talk to you soon.”

Hermione turned quickly and handed her birding pass to the man standing by the gate. She gave Harry a quick wave over her shoulder before making her way down the long hall that connected the plane to the building.

A thrill went through her as she settled in her seat. While it wasn't her first time on a plane, nor her first in first class, it would be the first time she was so far from home. Far from her friends and loved ones, mostly far away from Harry who had become her family long before she'd sent her parents away. She pulled out her headphones and the small iPod she'd loaded with as many songs possible before leaving. Within seconds she felt herself relax. She would enjoy the flight, and enjoy what we're possibly her last hours as a free woman. No matter what she told Harry, she couldn't help but feel she was walking right into a trap.

-0-0-0-

“Do we really have to do this?” Clint complained and pulled at his collar. He didn’t care that is was supposedly in his size, it felt too restricting.

 

“Yes. We want her to trust us, remember?” Tasha refrained from rolling her eyes and scanned the crowds coming into the baggage claim instead.

“When does she land again? And do I have time to grab coffee?” he eyed the Starbucks across the terminal from him.

“You've already had three and we've barely been here an hour. Besides, she should be walking in any minute now, hold up the sign.”

“I don't see why I have to hold the sign.” he grumbled, but held up the white sign with the name ‘HERMIONE GRANGER’ written boldly in black. “What kind of name is ‘Her-my-one anyways?”

“It's Her-mi-o-nee, actually.”

Hermione looked at the two people in front of her and had a vague sense of recollection, she wasn't sure…. she pushed the thoughts aside for later. They _seemed_ like they might just be professional chauffeurs. The man was in a black suit, jacket, and tie. His white shirt was crisp and buttoned all the way up to the - slightly wrinkled - collar.

The woman next to him was striking in her black dress and heels. Her red hair, almost similar to a Weasley’s in color, made her even more compelling.

Even though they _seemed_ as if they were only there to escort her, they _looked_ like they were there for something else entirely. If they were magical, she would have pegged them as aurors. The way they held themselves, the practiced relaxed state, eyes always assessing, the way they moved and angled their bodies, almost subconsciously to mirror each other…she knew the type and would even hazard a guess that they were partners. Thankfully, they didn't appear to mean her any harm, at the moment.

She held out her hand. “Pleased to meet you…” she trailed off.

The man offered her his hand first, taking her own in a firm grip. His callused palm scrapped against her own and a pleased smile crossed his face. “Barton. Clint Barton, but you can call me Clint.”

She nodded as he let go of her hand, and turned to the woman.

“Natasha Romanoff, Ms. Granger.” The handshake was short, but a small smile teased the corners of her mouth.

“Please, call me Hermione.”

“And you can call me Natasha.”

Clint tossed the sign into the nearest recycle bin and clapped his hands. “Should we get this show on the road? Did they tell you what carousel your luggage would be at?”

Hermione was happy to find her luggage one of the first unloaded. Her _escorts_ quickly secured a bag each and proceeded to walk her out to the parking garage. Hermione was glad she hadn't given into the temptation to enchant the bags feather light. She wasn't ready to explain why two pieces of luggage that size could be lifted with hardly any effort. Nor had she put the undetectable extension charms on them. The only magical bag she had was the small beaded purse in her carry-on and it contained anything magical she might need and then some.

Her wand, however, was strapped to the holster on her left wrist, shielded by charms worked into the leather. As Natasha held open the back door of a large black SUV for her, Clint put her things in the rear. Before either of them could slide into the front seats, she touched her wand briefly. The feel of the warm wood against her fingers calmed the butterflies that had been building in her stomach.

When Clint and Natasha opened their doors, sat down, and closed them again simultaneously, Hermione swallowed a laugh. The move looked practiced, though she couldn't be sure it wasn't just how well the two obviously knew each other.

“Is this your first time in New York?” Clint asked her from the passenger seat.

She'd sat herself in the middle seat, so he didn't have to turn his head far to see her. “First time in the United States.”

He nodded, “We’ll have to get you pizza. A real pizza. Won't we Tash?” he asked his partner and pushed her arm playfully.

“I'm always up for pizza.” Natasha replied, her tone slightly dry, but Hermione thought she heard humor under it.

They discussed the merits of different types of pizzas for a while, until finally, Hermione couldn't take the mindless banter anymore.

“Do you do this often?” she asked, her voice innocent.

“Get pizza? Often enough.” Clint answered her.

Hermione laughed, but even she could tell the laugh was fake. Ahead of them in the distance, she could make out a tower, taller than all the other buildings around it. “No, this,” she gestured between the two of them, “pretend to be drivers? Or is this particular act just for me?”

In front of her, Clint and Natasha went from almost, sort of, relaxed to still as stone. They exchanged a look before Clint fixed her in his steady gaze and Natasha focused on the road.

“You're quicker than most, I'll give you that. We aren't here to hurt you though.”

Hermione quirked an eyebrow and felt her lips twist into a smirk. “Just here to detain me then?”

“We’re here to make sure you get to your meeting with the Director. Safely.” Natasha said, her eyes briefly locking with Hermione's in the rear view mirror.

Hermione made a noise between a hum and a snort then crossed her arms and looked out the side window.

Clint broke the tense silence that had settled after a few minutes, “I liked it better when we were talking about pizza.”

Hermione hid her smile in her hand. She still wasn't sure what was happening, nor why her simple-ish, hack job had warranted all of this, but she hoped it would all turn out okay. Because against her better judgment, Hermione thought she could really like Clint and Natasha.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N  
> I don’t own any of the characters.   
> A special Thank You to siriuslyorionwicked and breenieweenie for helping me so much with the story and being amazing cheerleaders. Love you!   
> Thank you to everyone who has read or reviewed this. You keep me motivated.

Hermione didn't even try to hide her awe at the size of the tower they were approaching. She had probably seen something just as tall, if not taller before. But nothing she could remember and never this close. As they pulled closer, a wall in the side of the building lifted smoothly, revealing a ramp. As they spiraled down, lights came on in front of them. When they reached the bottom, light flooded the large room and she gasped, unable to help herself.

The sheer amount of vehicles took her breath away. The fact that all of them were top of the line added to her awe.

Clint chuckled at the look on her face, “Most of these are Tony’s. Though we all keep ours down here too.”

After Natasha parked the SUV, Clint hopped out opened the door for Hermione. “Someone will take your bags up to your room.” Natasha told her.

Hermione hesitated, trying to decide if she should leave her purse in her carry-on. She still had her wand though, and even if they searched her bags, they wouldn't be able to see anything in her purse.

“Don't worry,” Clint added, seeing her hesitation, “it's a normal room. Mostly. And no one will take your stuff.”

“I'm not worried about my stuff being stolen.” Hermione rolled her eyes at the thought and scooched out. All of her things were charmed. Even if someone _did_ try to take them, they would just come back to her. Though she was reassured to hear it was a normal room, mostly. That's when Natasha’s words registered. “Wait, I'm staying here? I thought I'd be in a hotel.”

Clint and Natasha exchanged a look, “You could stay in a hotel, if you prefer. But there's quite a bit of room here, and this way you'll be closer to everyone.”

Natasha said the words she wanted to hear, she could get a hotel, but somehow Hermione doubted she'd actually be able to secure a room should she try. “I'm certain here is fine.”

They were almost to the elevator doors when she spotted them. A long row of motorcycles. The first five were all black, but the last five were each customized and she stopped in her tracks, admiring them.

“Those two,” Clint said, pointing at the one that looked almost like something you'd see in the military and the matte black with chrome ones, “are Cap and Bucky’s. These other three are mine, Tasha’s, and Sam’s.”

“Who do the others belong to?” she asked, trying not to pet one. Her father may have been a dentist, but she remembered spending many evenings with him in the garage, tinkering away on some old car or bike. She'd never had the chance to drive one, but she'd always wanted too.

“Those belong to the company. Anyone can use them.” Natasha looked at her with a knowing smirk and Hermione smiled back. “Let's go up, the Director is waiting for you.

-0-0-0-

The office itself was smaller than she had expected. The far wall was floor to ceiling windows, the one she'd just come through contained only a door, and other two had large screens.

Hermione wasn't sure if she'd used up her awe for the day, or if she was just that tired. But after the forty floor elevator ride and watching the Manhattan skyline for the last five of those, she wasn't that impressed with Director Fury.

Though, she did wonder if it had to do with the fact that he vaguely reminded her of Kingsley and Mad-Eye. The way his very presence commanded the attention of the room and the way he held himself, that same practiced relaxed look both Natasha and Clint had. If those two were aurors, he was obviously the department head.

After showing her in, Natasha and Clint left. She could still feel the weight of Clint’s hand on her shoulder where he'd placed it before leaving.

“Please, sit.” Director Fury waved his hand toward the seat in front of his desk. He remained standing, a folder open in his hands. Hermione felt a chill go up her spine as she looked at the innocent seeming manila folder.

When he started to read, she froze, suddenly feeling as if she were made of ice, “Ms. Hermione Granger. Twenty-three. Best friend of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. One third of the trio that saved wizarding Britain, and by extent, the world, at the age of eighteen.” Director Fury paused and looked up at her with his good eye. “That is you, isn't it?”

Hermione swallowed the fear rising from deep within her belly. She hated that this man knew so much about her, “It seems silly to agree. You're obviously certain I'm the person in your file, or you wouldn't have brought me here.” she paused and fortified herself. She still had her wand, if things went wrong, she could use it. “Why are you reading this to me?”  

He looked her up and down, as if taking her measure. Hermione felt her spine stiffen then relax under his study. A bubble of laughter smothered the fear that had been growing. She'd faced far worse than this man and his… organization. No matter what happened, she could handle it.

“We know you're a witch.” he stated flatly, watching for her reaction.

She let out the laugh that had been building. “Oh, do you?” she laughed again before getting herself under control. “If you know I'm a witch, what’s to stop me from erasing your memory and that of anyone else who's seen me?” she leaned back in her chair and cocked an eyebrow in challenge. “How _do_ you know, out of curiosity.”

He laughed, but unlike hers, the sound was humorless, “Do you honestly think we don't know about MACUSA?” He leaned forward on his desk, hands braced and bracketing her file. “We've had to work with them on occasion. The United States is a big place, Ms. Granger. We're the ones who step in when problems are too big to handle.”

Hermione looked at him, then down at her file on his desk. It wasn't that far of a reach to expect MACUSA to use all the resources available. The United States had come a long way and, while they still mostly operated under the Statute of Secrecy, it _was_ a large country. “I'm not here because I looked through some things that weren't exactly on public record, am I?”

He sat down and steepled his fingers, “Not exactly, Ms. Granger. Though we admire your intelligence, you have other qualities that we’re also interested in. Tell me, what do you know about the Avengers?”

“I'm sorry, who?”

He looked at her suspiciously.

She held up her hand, “Honest. I'm not sure who, or what, that is.”

Slowly, he reached under the desk and pulled out a table and held it out to her. On the screen was a large white A, identical to the one stamped on her invitation, against a dark blue background. “The Avengers are a group of enhanced individuals that protect, not just the nation, but the world. Seems like something that might be right up your alley.”

“I'm flattered, but I currently have my own problems.”

He narrowed his eye at her, “Does it have anything to do with why you’re interested in the tesseract?”

“It does. I'd like to study it while I'm here,” she tapped the screen and a picture she had seen before appeared, “You sent these two agents to pick me up from the airport. Why?” Her tone was only slightly accusing as she had to Hermione bite her lips to stop a smile. _That_ was why she'd thought she had recognized them. They had been in the pictures of she had seen of New York after the supposed alien attack. It was the same picture that was currently on her tablet. Only Clint and Natasha were facing the camera. The others were turned out, forming a circle. She was also fairly certain they had sent those two in particular in case she suddenly decided to renegade on the invitation.

“Yes, Agents’ Barton and Romanoff. Its protocol, only certain agents and the Avengers themselves have access to the tower. They live here as well.” Directory Fury said, he was focused on her face and Hermione wondered if she hadn't quite hidden her smile.

“I see. However, as I said, I have my own problems. I'm out of the world saving business.”

“I see,” he said, echoing her words, “Well, I suppose I can always have some of my agents pay a visit to,” he opened her file again, but she knew it was only for show, even as her blood ran cold, “Mr. Weasley, or perhaps Mr. Potter?”

Years of protective instincts well inside of her, “Don't. Threaten. My friends.” She told him, her voice soft and dangerous, “You seem to know so much about me, did you _also_ know I have diplomatic immunity around the world?” she held his eye with her own and refused to back down or look away, “I'm sure you're only trying to do what's right for your people, but so am I.” Hermione stood. The chair rolled silently back, and she found herself wishing it would scrape against the floor. “Now if you'll excuse me, _Director_ Fury. I’d like to find my room.” She held out the tablet he'd given her.

He inclined his head toward the tablet, but didn't take it from her. “I don't threaten” he said, it wasn't reassuring, “Keep it. Consider it a good will offering. Read about us and what we do. Take some time to think it over.”

She nodded and turned her back on him. She _would_ read everything that was on there, but he was wrong. She didn't need time to think it over, she'd already made up her mind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry if formatting is off. I've been having technical difficulties. I'm going to try and update once a week on Friday or Saturday.

Hermione stormed out of the office. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going, but she was too mad to stay. Just as she was questioning herself on which way to turn, Clint, _Agent Barton_ , she reminded herself, showed up. He looked much more comfortable in his black cargo pants and black t-shirt. 

“Are you here to escort me to my room, _Agent Barton_?” 

His face fell a bit at her tone, if she hadn't been looking at him so closely, she might have missed it. “Don't get all formal on me now,” he teased lightly, “You can still call me Clint if you want to. Or Barton. Whatever makes you comfortable.” 

“I'm sorry, I'm just tired.” she admitted as she rubbed her eyes. And she _was_ tired, the past week seemed to have caught up with her all at once. Now she was exhausted, _and_ pissed off. While it was only mid-afternoon - thanks to time difference - her flight _had_ been eight hours long. And in all the excitement she'd barely slept in the past two days. 

He moved to walk beside her and steered her back to the elevator. As the doors closed, he said, “You're on one of the guest floors for now. If you decide to stay, you'll be given a private residence.” 

“It's nice to think I have a choice.” Her voice was sickly sweet and laced with sarcasm. Even with as tired as she was, she wasn't an idiot. She highly doubted Director Fury was just going to let her walk out those doors when she was done here, never to return again. 

Clint gave her a _look,_ but didn't comment, just continued to tell her about the Tower she was staying at.

“Your rooms are on the 80th floor, just below the communal areas, but above the gym and the labs” 

“Is it safe to have people living above a lab?” She'd been through some interesting explosions in the Potions lab her last year at Hogwarts. 

“As opposed to living below them?” he smirked and she realized she was being a bit silly. Surely they had plenty of safety measures in place. “Currently no one else is staying on the same floor as you, though there are other rooms. You'll find a small kitchen and living room there, but please feel free to use the communal kitchen and lounge room as well.” 

Hermione stifled a giggle. His speech seemed almost formal, as if he were reading it off a card. “Do they make you all memorize this stuff?” 

He stopped and grinned at her, “Pretty much. Tony is proud of this tower. Can't have someone undersell it.” 

The elevator stopped and opened into a living room and kitchen that was larger than her flat. Her luggage was sitting by one of the couches. 

“This is where you'll be staying.” Clint said as they stepped off, “You can choose any one of those rooms there.” He added and pointed toward the hallway off the living room. “You'll have to make a trip to the communal kitchen to stock up on any essentials you might need, or you can ask FRIDAY and she’ll help you order out.”

Hermione tilted her head, “Friday? Like the movie?” 

He put his hand on a panel near the door and a female voice came from all around the room, “How can I help you Agent Barton?” 

“This, is FRIDAY, our resident computer system. Think SIRI, but better.” he told her, to FRIDAY he said, “Hermione Granger is staying on this floor. Please help her as she needs.” 

“Of course Agent Barton.” FRIDAY replied. 

Hermione blinked, “I know later tonight or tomorrow, that's going to be really amazing. But right now I'm too tired to think.” 

“No worries. You catch a nap and get settled in. Someone will come up and give you the grand tour later.” he smiled and left her. 

Finally alone, Hermione wandered down the hall to choose a room. They were all the same; cream colored walls, light green bed spreads with matching curtains and cream carpeting. She chose the one at the end of the hall, warded it and added a _muffliato_ , laid on the bed and pulled out her mirror. 

“Harry Potter.” 

The glass fogged over briefly - she never did figure out how James and Sirius managed to make theirs stay clear - before clearing, showing her Harry’s anxious face. 

“Hey Harry.” She smiled at him sleepily. 

“Hey Hermione. All settled in?” 

“Yeah, this place is enormous. And they have a computer named FRIDAY.” she yawned. 

Harry chuckled, “Maybe you can tell me more about it tomorrow? You look like you're about to pass out.” 

She nodded, “Pretty close. I'll talk to you later. Love you, Harry.” 

“Love you too.” 

She rolled over to her side, she'd figure out how to save everyone later. 

-0-0-0-

A three hour nap and one shower later, Hermione felt like a new woman. A new woman who was _starving._ Her light lunch from the plane seemed like days ago and her stomach kept up an almost constant low rumble as she moved her luggage to her room and dressed. 

“Food, what should I do for food…” Hermione contemplated out loud while standing in the kitchen. “Er, FRIDAY?” she called out to the room in general. 

“How can I be of service Ms. Granger?” FRIDAY answered back and Hermione grinned. 

“That is so cool.” 

“I'm glad you think so.” 

Hermione jumped and spun around, at the new voice. Too late, she realized her wand was already in her hand and aimed at the man standing in front of the closed elevator doors. “Who are you?” 

“I am _shocked_ you don't know who I am. It's a good thing you like FRIDAY, or I might actually be upset.”

Hermione re-holstered her wand and studied the man in front of her. His jeans and faded cotton t-shirt were casual, but the way they fit him made her think they had probably been tailored. His dark brown hair was a bit mussed, and looked as if it had recently held a style, but he'd run his hands through it too many times and his mouth was framed by a neatly trimmed goatee. 

“Recognize me yet?” He grinned at her and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Sorry about startling you, I didn't think to have FRIDAY warn you I was on my way up. She told me you were awake and I thought you might want to join us for dinner.” 

“I can't say that I do recognize you, but dinner sounds wonderful.” 

He put a hand to his heart and grimaced, “I'm hurt,” then he was smiling again, “but I'll get over it. Tony Stark at your service.” He held out his hand. 

“Stark- oh!” she stepped forward and shook his hand. “Thank you for letting me stay in your home.” 

He released her hand and waved her off. “Please, make yourself at home here. Everyone else does. They only keep me around for my money.” He winked at her to let her know he was joking and held out his arm. “Can I escort you to the dining hall?” 

She smiled warmly. She hardly knew the man, but something about him was comforting. She laid her hand on his arm, “Lead the way.”


	5. Chapter 5

“I read your file, you know.” Mr. Stark said as they walked into the elevator.

Hermione groaned, “Did he give it out to everybody?”

“Probably, but I doubt most of them actually read it. Unlike the rest of my teammates, I actually _do_ my homework.” he pressed the button for the floor above them, “So, a witch huh? Is that why you pointed that stick at me?”

“Yes, it's my wand. Why didn't we take the stairs?” she asked.

“I know it's only one floor up, but they're farther away from each other than they look. We mostly use the stairs for emergencies,” he said. “Speaking of stairs, how would you feel about a tour tomorrow? Given by yours truly of course.”

The elevator dinged and opened silently into a large kitchen. She smiled at the sight of the table loaded down with multiple pizza boxes. It reminded her of the house tables in the Great Hall, complete with bench seating. She refocused on Mr. Stark, “A tour would be fantastic. Eight o’clock?”

“Whatever works for you,” he agreed and took her arm once again, steering her toward the table, “Have you met everyone?”

“Hermione!” Clint shouted from the far end of the table and waved, “I was wondering if I'd see you again tonight.”

“I see you've met Barton, which means you've probably already met….” he trailed off as Natasha waved at her. “Right, and this is Wanda Maximoff,” he waved at the young woman who looked to be Hermione's age and she waved back at both of them. “The guy next to _her_ is Vision. Then we have Sam Wilson, Colonel James Rhodes, Dr. Bruce Banner, and Thor.”

He pointed to each person in turn and they waved at her. “Everyone, this is Hermione Granger. The possible new recruit.”

“Hi, well, not exact-” she started but was interrupted

“What's this about new recruits?”

“See, I told you I was the only one who did my homework.” Mr. Stark said beside her, but the words seemed to come from far away.

Two men had just exited the elevator. One was tall, blonde, and all muscle. The other, while also tall and muscular, had long dark hair and what appeared to be a metal arm.

And they were some of the most handsome men she had ever seen. Around her, Mr. Stark and the newcomers continued to talk, but most of her attention was currently focused on the dark haired man. He had caught her gaze and winked. She shivered in response.

Mr. Stark touched her arm, “Ms. Granger, this is Captain Steve Rogers and Sergeant James Barnes. Super soldiers, this is Hermione Granger.”

Steve - _Captain Rogers_ she corrected herself - the blonde, stepped closer and held out his hand. She took it and blushed. “Nice to meet you ma’am.”

Hermione licked her lips, “Please, call me Hermione.” If her voice came out a little breathy, well, hopefully she was the only one who heard.

Sergeant Barnes held out his hand next, the non-metallic one she noticed He held onto her hand just a bit longer than necessary. Even standing arm’s length from her, she felt surrounded by them. She wasn't sure if it was them, or the heat from her cheeks, but the very air around her seemed warmer.

“Now that we've all been introduced, Hermione, were you still hungry?” Mr. Stark asked and walked toward the table.

“Hun- oh yes! Starving!” She said a little too loudly, still flustered.

Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes grinned at her, and when she turned toward the table everyone, but Thor was focused on her. She made her way to the table and sat down near the unassuming man Mr. Stark had introduced as Dr. Banner. Mr. Stark sat on the other side of her. Clint moved down from his spot to sit across from her and Captain Rogers and Sargent Barnes took seats next to him. Within seconds, all of the people assembled had formed a loose circle around her.

Dr. Banner handed her a plate and Mr. Stark, Captain Rogers, and Clint all presented her with open pizza boxes to choose from. She took a slice from each and thanked them all for helping her. Sergeant Barnes, who had wandered off toward the fridge, came back with a bottle of water in one hand and a can of soda in the other, then set them both down in front of her.

She had just swallowed the first bite of pizza when the questions started.

“So, Ms. Granger, where are you from?” Mr. Wilson asked her from the other side of Dr. Banner.

She took a sip of water to wash down the bite before answering, “England. Near London, currently.”

“What brings you to New York?” Thor asked while passing the napkin she had been reaching for.

“Thank you,” a smile played about her lips, “and I was invited by your Director Fury.”

She had just taken another bite when Ms. Maximoff asked, “Ah, what does he want with you?” Hermione glanced at the young woman, but she merely seemed curious, not demanding.

“Probably her-” Mr. Stark began to answer, then stopped to look at her, looking for her approval. She continued to chew and nodded. Might as well tell them all now, they'd find out eventually. “Probably her magic. She's a witch.” He finished.

All of them but Captain Rogers nodded. His eyes narrowed slightly and small lines formed just above his nose as he glanced away from her. _He knew already,_ she realized. _He must have read the file too._

“A witch? Like Wanda?” Vision asked, finally perking up.

Everyone looked between her and Wanda, “Er, um, I'm not sure? I wasn't aware Ms. Maximoff was a witch. I haven't had time to do my homework.”

Ms. Maximoff smiled at her, “It’s more of my, what did they call it? My… hero, identity. The Scarlet Witch.”

Hermione giggled.

“Something funny, ma’am?” The Captain asked her, one eyebrow was cocked and one corner of his mouth was lifted.

“Just, I'm sorry, _hero_ identities? Why can't you use your real names? Thor does, right?” She chose not to comment on him calling her ma’am again, not at the moment at least.

“Thor, isn't from here, and we all use them. It's a super hero thing.” Mr. Stark said with a wave of his hand, as if that explained everything. Though, she supposed in a way it did. Secret identities and whatnot.

“What's everyone's… code name?” She asked, curious now. They were probably in the tablet sitting on her nightstand, but since everyone was here, she went ahead and asked them.

Mr. Stark smiled widely, “Clint here is Hawkeye, Natasha is the Black Widow, Sam, he's Falcon. Rhodey over there is War Machine.”

“I told you, it's Iron Patriot now.” Colonel Rhodes said with a long suffering sigh.

Mr. Stark snorted in amusement, “Right, yeah, so he's _Iron Patriot._ ”

“Keep it up Mr. Stank.” The Colonel muttered.

Hermione watched the interaction between them and couldn't help but think of Ron and Harry.

Mr. Stark narrowed his eyes, but he was smiling, “Steve here is Captain America, and James is the Winter Soldier. And of course, I’m Iron Man.”

She smiled again, but didn't say anything else and the conversation picked up around her. Hermione finished off her pizza while everyone around her chatted. The feeling around her was cozy and familiar. They were a family in much her and Harry and Ron had been a family.

Thoughts of Ron dampened her mood and she didn't notice the lull in conversation, too lost in thought.

“Ms. Granger?” Dr. Banner asked, drawing her attention back to those around her. They were all looking her way and she realized she'd missed something.

She smiled, shoving the feeling of sadness away into the back corner of her mind. “I apologize, I was thinking.”

He nodded, an understanding look in his eye, “We were wondering if you'd show us some of your magic? Unless you aren't up for it, of course.”

The men and women around her watched her all eagerly as children. She smiled indulgently, “Of course.” she ran through a few different spells before settling on a party trick. She released her wand and tapped it on a lone slice of pizza left in the box in front of her, it grew arms and legs and began to tap dance. They gasped, and Thor even clapped.

Grinning and caught up in their excitement, she tapped the pizza again and one slice became two and soon they were waltzing around the table. She let them finish their dance before cancelling the spells she had placed upon them. The two slices fell and she waited.

“Why are there still two pieces?”

“Are they still safe to eat?”

“What else can you do?”

Many of them spoke at the same time, so she wasn't quite sure who had asked what, but she addressed them all as she answered. “There are two pieces because I duplicated the pizza. It's now a slice in its own right. Even when I cancelled the charm, the duplicate remains unless I vanish it. They are perfectly safe to eat, any replicated food is, as long as it was food to begin with. I can do quite a few things, but I'd rather not do them all tonight.” she finished and put her wand away.

“I begin to understand why the Director invited you.” Ms. Maximoff said with a nod in her direction. Hermione nodded back, suddenly more eager to get back to her room to read up on everyone.

 _And when will you look for the tesseract?_ A small voice in her head asked, she frowned and looked at the table. She'd been having fun and the people of her world were slowly, but steadily, losing their magic. _Tomorrow,_ she promised herself. Tomorrow while Mr. Stark gave her the tour. She fake yawned to cover her sudden silence. “This has been wonderful, and it was nice meeting you all, but I find myself still tired from my flight.” she turned to Mr. Stark, “I'll see you in the morning?”

He nodded and she made her way to the elevator, alone after waving off multiple offers to show her back to her room. As the elevator doors closed, her last sight was of them with their heads together, probably discussing her. She sighed and closed her eyes, it had felt nice to belong, even if it was only for a little bit.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N  
> Two chapters today because honestly having two stories being released at the same time but with one behind the other was driving me crazy. Now they are even.   
> Thank you for understanding.

Hermione was used to taking in a lot of information. She was even used to reading about things that some small part of her screamed weren't real. Dragons, Hydras, mermaids… so as she read up about the Avengers, she tried to keep an open mind, reminded herself that if she was real, they were real. That even though most didn't believe science could accomplish these things, it obviously could and _did_.

Out of habit, she had taken notes on each member of the team. She looked down at the small notepad and pen she had found in one of the kitchen drawers. She couldn't believe of all the things she had remembered to pack, note taking material wasn't one of them. The first name, Steven Rogers AKA Captain America, blurred and she rubbed her eyes. She wasn't tired, but she couldn't look at her notes or the tablet next to them anymore. She glanced over at the fridge, thinking a snack might help, before remembering she'd forgotten to grab anything from the fridge upstairs. She could probably wait until breakfast anyways… her stomach growled. The clock on the wall said 12:34am and her watch said 5:34am. It was no wonder she was hungry, it was almost breakfast time for her. It also meant that other than her three hour nap earlier, she'd been up for almost thirty hours.

Her stomach growled again.

_Food first, then maybe a sleeping potion._

Just as quickly and quietly as before, she found herself in the communal kitchen. The mess from earlier was cleaned and all the surfaces seemed to have been wiped down. A faint smell of cleaning products hung in the air. She wondered if they had staff to clean up, or if they did it all themselves. _Probably staff._ On stocking feet, she made her way to the fridge and pulled it open. First she noticed the leftover pizza boxes. She opened it and grinned. It was a mix of the leftover slices, and she noticed one of the duplicated pieces was missing. She closed the box and rummaged through the rest of the food; some apples, a few carrot sticks, jam, and some cheese, all easy and quick to grab, as well as a few other leftovers, all dated.

She moved to the cupboard and laughed happily when she found a couple tins of loose leaf Earl Grey - one regular, one decaf - with a small sitting strainer next to them. A little more rummaging and she found a mug and a tea kettle. Soon, she had the kettle heating and was making herself some toast.

“Oh! I didn't realize anyone would be here.” a female voice called from the direction of the elevator.

Hermione was going to talk to Mr. Stark about putting a bell on those or something. She turned and came face to face with a woman she hadn't met yet, but looked very familiar. “Pepper Potts.”

The woman, Pepper, smiled, “And you must be Hermione.” She walked forward, also in her socks, Hermione noted, and held out a hand. Hermione grasped it and was happy to note that Pepper had a firm grip. “The whole tower is talking about you.” Pepper confided, a bit of a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

“Lovely,” Hermione grinned, and released her hand, “can't really seem to escape it. Tell me, have I stolen anyone's sweetheart yet?”  Pepper laughed, her head thrown back and Hermione felt herself warm further toward this woman.

“Not yet, but if the rumors are true, you, Clint, and Natasha sure have been busy.”

It was Hermione’s turn to laugh. “That might be a record. Not even here for 24 hours.” she shook her head, still chuckling, “Would you like some tea?” The kettle had started to whistle and she moved to make her cup.

“Sure, since you have the kettle on already.” She grabbed a cup and some bagged tea, Hermione poured the water and they both sat. “Time change?”

Hermione nodded, “I'm usually getting up about now.” she grimaced and took the strainer out of her cup and added honey. Out of habit, she stirred the tea with her finger, not touching the liquid. “I suppose I'll get used to it eventually.”

Pepper inclined her head toward Hermione's hand, “That's convenient.” She sipped her own tea, “Don't worry, we're not the only ones awake. Someone else will probably wander in soon. There are days I _swear_ no one in this tower sleeps.”

“That's… actually comforting, knowing I'm not the only one who has a hard time sleeping.”

“Do you mind me asking how you knew who I was?” Pepper asked her.

“I was researching Stark Industry. Your name comes up almost as often as Mr. Stark’s.” she met Pepper’s gaze, “I love that you use clean energy, completely off the grid. It's almost like our magic.”

“Thank you. We're very proud to be one of the world leaders in clean energy. We're trying to expand, but…” she trailed off.

“There are always people opposed to change?” Hermione offered.

The lapsed into silence, Pepper finished her tea first, “I'm off to try and catch a few hours before my flight at nine. Maybe we can do lunch when I get back?”

Hermione smiled widely, “I'd like that.”

Pepper smiled back and left.

Hermione had begun to doze off in her seat when someone new spoke from behind her.

“Ms. Granger?”

“Merlin, Morgana, and Nimue!” Hermione sat up straight and put a hand to her chest as she glared at the large man who was still standing near the elevator.

Captain Rogers switched on the light, “I'm sorry ma’am, I didn't realize anyone else would be awake.”

“It's quite alright Captain.” She smiled at him and reminded herself not to stare, but it was hard. The white t-shirt and grey sweats looked better on him than they had a right to. “I was actually on my way to bed. Don't want to fall asleep in here and have everyone see me first thing in the morning.” She giggled nervously. He was still staring at her and she wasn't used to being the focus of so much… whatever he was. It was making her feel giddy. Or maybe that was the lack of sleep.

“I'm sure you’re adorable when you first wake up.” He said.

Hermione almost swooned, suddenly overcome with images of waking up next to him. Then, just as quickly she remembered he was the All-American Good Guy. He was just being nice. Still, her cheeks warmed and she stumbled over her words and out of her chair. “That's- that's very nice of you. So nice. But I could give Medusa a run for her money in the morning. And really it's been such a long day and- and I should _really_ get going. Sleep, I need sleep.”

He moved aside so she could reach the elevator. She smiled up and him, _up and up and up Merlin’s beard he's tall!_ she thought and then stumbled, tripping over her own feet.

He grabbed her before she could even get close to the ground. His large, warm, hand easily wrapped around her bicep.

“Are you okay? I could walk you to your room?”

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath, _pushing_ away thoughts of this man in her room. _You don't even know him!!!!_ part of her mind screamed. Another part purred, _who cares if we know him? It's been so long… I bet we could climb him like a tree._

 _Shut up!_ She shook her head to clear it and answered him, “No, thank you. I'm alright. The jet lag just hit me all of a sudden.” He released her arm and she moved fully into the elevator. “Thank you, Captain.”

He opened his mouth, maybe to reply, but the doors closed before he could.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Steve’s mind was preoccupied as he made himself and Bucky a few sandwiches. He replayed the conversation he'd just had with the lovely Ms. Granger and still wasn't sure _why_ he'd told her she would look adorable when she woke up. It was just that when she'd mentioned everyone seeing her when she woke up, an image of her waking up next to _him_ rose, unbidden, into his mind.

Then she'd blushed and stumbled and stuttered and his heart had started to beat a little faster while his stomach flipped. He finished making the sandwiches and took the laden plate up to his and Bucky's apartment, still wondering what it all meant. He hadn't felt this way since… well since Peggy, and of course, with Bucky.

“Took you long enough. I'm starved.” Bucky called from the couch as the elevator doors slid open. “Did you get lost?” he joked.

Steve shook his head and moved to sit next to him, setting the plate on the coffee table in the process. “I ran into Ms. Granger.”

Bucky, who had just grabbed a sandwich, sat up and studied his face.

“What?” Steve asked and grabbed his own sandwich.

Bucky took a bite, chewed, and swallowed before answering. “She's a good looking dame.”

Steve blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, “It's not like that Buck…” he trailed off when Bucky gave him a knowing look.

“It's not?”

Steve felt his face heat, “Its, you know I would _never_ and-”

Bucky leaned over and gently kissed his lips, effectively shutting Steve up. “I know that, I was just saying she _is_ attractive and seems nice enough. If something were to happen…” he trailed off with a shrug.

Steve's eyes widened in surprise, “Are you saying-”

“I'm not saying we should go out and proposition her tomorrow,” he chucked and ran a hand through his hair, “I'm not opposed to seeing where a little flirting and such might lead, though.” He grinned wickedly.

Steve kissed him then and nipped Bucky's lip, only pulling back when they were both slightly breathless. “I love you.” he lightly pressed his lips against Bucky’s again. “You know, Fury wants me to convince her to join the team.”

“Hmm,” Bucky pulled away but laced their fingers together, “What do you think about that?”

Steve sighed deeply and ran his free hand through his hair, “Ability wise, she's an unknown. I can't say I don't want her to stay for _personal_ reasons, but I won't try and make her join the team.”

Bucky nodded his head in agreement, “The Avengers wouldn't be much of a team if you forced people to join. As for her abilities, maybe we can convince her to come to the training gym soon.”

-0-0-0-

Hermione was just trying to decide if she should go to the communal kitchen for coffee, when FRIDAY informed her that ‘Mr. Stark is on his way down.’

She sighed and made a mental note to grab things from the kitchen, _today_ , until she could go shopping. Hopefully tomorrow.

“You ready for your big tour?” Mr. Stark asked her.

Hermione was proud of herself - she didn't jump this time. “You really need to put bells on those.”

He flashed her a wicked grin, “Where's the fun in that?”

She rolled her eyes and joined him in the elevator, “Is there time to grab some coffee? I forgot to grab supplies for this kitchen, I suppose I'll go buy some stuff today or tomorrow.” She had tried to call Harry on the mirror, to see if he'd mind going to Gringotts and setting up a line of credit for her on his end, just in case her cash ran out, but he hadn't answered.

“Just have FRIDAY order what you need and we'll have it delivered. And there is _always_ time for coffee.”

“I hadn't considered that, and you don't mind, Mr. Stark?” she asked.

“Not at all, FRIDAY is here to help. And please, call me Tony. Mr. Stark gets old fast.” He said as the doors opened into the main kitchen. It was mostly empty, expect for Clint, who was standing at the counter, drinking coffee straight from the carafe.

She stopped, “Er…”

“Don't worry,” Tony took her arm, “that's his personal coffee pot. We tried to break him of the habit, but you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks.”

“Who’re you callin’ old?” Clint said and grabbed a spoon that was sitting on the counter next to him, and flung it at them.

Tony put his hand out to grab it, but he was too late. Hermione had already thrown up a wandless, wordless, shield charm and the spoon clattered harmlessly to the ground.

Tony and Clint stared and she blushed. “Old habit.” She offered as an explanation.

“Some habit.” Tony shook his head.

“Are you always that fast?” Clint asked her, his gaze assessing now.

She shrugged and poured her coffee, “I suppose? If I was slower I wouldn't be standing here. I've never really tested it though.”

“You should-” Clint started, but Tony cut him off.

“Oh no. She's not training today. Today I'm taking her on a tour. Tomorrow you can take her to the gym.”

Hermione chuckled as Clint’s face fell, then lit up again.

“Deal.” He said, “See you tomorrow Hermione. Or later today, whichever.” He said and waved one hand, the other was still wrapped around the handle of the coffee carafe.

Hermione and Tony re-entered the elevator.

“Where would you like to start?” He asked.

“I'm not really sure. The information Fury gave me didn't have much on this place.” She sipped her coffee, wondering if the spell she'd been working on to map the place would help. It was a variation of one she'd found on Harry’s map, but it would still take time to set up and she needed general knowledge of the tower’s layout.

“Let's see, the first twenty-ish floors are a general public free for all. Conference rooms, things for people to look at. After that it's offices for our employees and leftover SHEILD agents. A general gym and communal area for employees. Then supply closets and such. Bruce's playroom, well floor really. The gyms, medical, the labs, guest rooms, the communal areas for whoever’s in residence. The kitchen, a movie room, the bar with general sitting and party area. Permanent residents above that.”

Hermione blinked, “This place might have more rooms than my old school. Bruce's playroom?”

“You read our files?” He asked and pressed a button. She nodded and noticed the elevator didn't go all the way down to the ground floor. She tried to remember if the elevator Clint had taken her up to her room in had or not. “Then you know about the big green rage monster. Huge fan, by the way, but he's got a containment room he helped design plus some other things for him to break and hit when he just needs to calm down.”

“I have an idea about that, but I'll need to do a bit of research. Do you know what the- the Hulk is?” She asked Tony. She'd seen the pictures and had thought he looked familiar, it wasn't until she'd dug out her copy of Fantastic Beasts that she'd been certain.

“Other than big, green, and impossible to kill?” Tony asked.

“Yes, other than that.” She grinned, excited to share what she suspected.

“No,” he studied her face, his eyes narrowed, “do _you?”_

Her grin widened and she nodded, “I have a pretty good idea.”

The doors opened into a plain room with a single door directly across from them. Hermione frowned and stepped out, her wand hand twitched. Tony had _seemed_ nice and she thought he could be a friend, but a room with one door? She wouldn't take any chances.

“What is he then?” Tony asked curiously and strode across the space. As he neared the door, a panel slide to the side and revealed something that looked like the tablet Fury had given her. Tony put his hand on it and the door opened. “You coming?” He asked and held the door open.

She reached the door and looked through it and gasped, “Whoa.”

“Yeah. He and I designed it. If he was really pissed, it wouldn't hold for long, but it might be long enough to get him to sleep.” he pulled her forward excitedly.

The floor bounced a bit as she walked on it and she fought the urge to jump. The walls were clear, but so thick she was certain they could stop a missile. Curious, she sent a stunner at the wall. It phased right through and she nodded. So it could stop physical things as least.

“What did you do?” Tony asked from beside her.

“Just testing something; I was curious.”

He looked at her, considering, and then smiled widely. “You still have to tell me about Bruce dearest, but first, would you like to see the labs?”

“I thought you'd never ask.”


	8. Chapter 8

“I suppose we'll have to do the grand tour another time.” Tony said as they made their way up to the lab. “I have an odd feeling we’ll be in here for a while. This is mine and Bruce's personal lab.”

Hermione tried to look everywhere at once, but there was just _too much._ “That's okay,” she mumbled as she walked closer to the table that had a holograph hovering above it, “I'm good at finding my own way.”

She poked the hologram and it zoomed in. She giggled happily, “You have the best toys.”

“And you say the nicest things. Keep that up and I might decide to keep you.”

“You can keep me if I get my own lab space.” Hermione said offhandedly as she studied the screens around her. She wasn't really sure what they were working on, but she recognized the blueprints for an Iron Man suit on one of them.

“Done.” Tony said from behind her.

“I was joking.” She said, still not looking at him.

“I wasn't.” She spun around, incredulous. He was giving her that grin she was already becoming very familiar with. “You can room in here with Bruce and I. The only rule is that I get to pick the music.”

Hermione felt her mouth open and close, not really sure what to say. “Th-thank you, but you really needn't go through the trouble. I don't know how long I'll be here and, if it's okay with you, I'll just set up a temporary spot in- in, you do have other labs, don't you?”

“I do, but it's been decided. I already messaged Bruce, just tell me what you need. Actually, I'll just set you up with what we have. If you need anything else, just let me know.”

“I can buy my own stuff.”

He waved her off, “Most of this you can't buy anyways, I designed and built the majority of it. So, tell me about Bruce.”

Hermione shook her head slowly, “You are something else. As for Dr. Banner, he's part troll. Or, a were-troll really, I suppose. However, troll blood doesn't usually manifest this way. I assume it mutated when he was exposed to the gamma radiation. He's obviously not controlled by the full moon, the change is rage triggered, which in a roundabout way makes sense for a troll. Still, considering he appears to be a were, I _think_ I can make something to help.”

“Wait, wait.” He held up his hands, “In theory, I understand everything you said. In practice, I only got about half. He's a troll?”

“Were-troll.” She corrected.

“Right, moving over how you even know he's a troll or that trolls are real, is it something you can cure?” His expression was eager.

“Um, it's part of his DNA, something he was born with. So, _cure_ might be a bit of a stretch. _In theory_ , there may be a potion I can make that would help him keep the- the mind of Bruce Banner when in Hulk form. Or at least, the human side would be more present. It's a tricky potion, and he'd have to agr-”

She was cut off as Tony picked her up and spun her around in a tight hug. She squealed in surprise - he was much stronger than he looked. When he set her down his smile took up his whole face.

“You. Are. Amazing.”

She blushed a bit and couldn't stop her answering smile, “Don't praise me yet, I still haven't made it.”

“What do you need?”

-0-0-0-

Within the hour, Hermione had returned to the lab - Tony had coded her prints in before she left - ready to start brewing.

“I thought you were getting your stuff?” Tony eyed her as if he thought she might be hiding something under her t-shirt or in the pocket of her jeans.

“I was.” She held up her beaded bag.

“Are we going shopping?”

“No, I have what I need in here.”

Before he could ask anything else, Dr. Banner walked in. “You wanted to see me Tony?”

“Brucey!” Tony bounced out of his seat and practically dragged his fellow scientist over to Hermione. “Darling Hermione here thinks she can help with your little green problem.”

Dr. Banner turned to look at her, curious.

“It's not a guarantee, but if you’re up for a bit of an experiment, I think I can make a potion that would help you keep your human mind while in the body of the Hulk.” She explained quickly, excitement and nervousness at war in her chest.

He blinked at her, “I- what? How?”

“If I'm right, I think I can adjust a potion we use for werewolves called wolfsbane.” Her excitement grew as their eyes lit up and colored her voice. “It helps weres’ keep their human mind in wolf form. I'd have to adjust it for your Hulk form of course, and it's just a theory, _and_ the only real way to test it is if you take your other form…” she trailed off.

“How would you even know how to adjust it? We don't know what the other guy is.” Dr. Banner’s face was scrunched in confusion. She wouldn’t be surprised if he had red around his eyes from the frames of his glasses.

“Oh! Oh! Let me tell him!” Tony rocked up on his toes, “She knows what _he_ is. The other guy is a _troll_.”

“Is this a joke?” Bruce asked looking between the two of them.

“Not at all Dr. Banner.” She answered.

“And you think you can make something to help?” She nodded and he let out a loud ‘HA’. “Okay, I- if you think you can make this potion, let's do it.”

“Here, let's clear a spot.” Tony moved toward his desk.

Hermione bit her lip, “Do you trust me?”

They turned to look at her, “Are you going to do more magic?” Tony asked.

She nodded, “If you and Dr. Banner want to move to the side.”

“I think you can call me Bruce, Hermione.” He was still looking at her as if he couldn't quite believe she was real.

“Right, well if the two of you- wait. Should I rearrange, or would you be okay with expanding the room?” She assessed the room. She _could_ rearrange, but if Tony was okay with her casting the undetectable expansion charm, there would be more room for all of them.

“Um, what? You can expand the room? Will it cause structural damage?” Tony asked.

“Not at all. It's completely undetectable.” She assured him.

“Oh, this I've got to see.” Tony said and Bruce nodded.

She was generally against showing off, but it had been so long since she'd been around anyone amazed by magic and she was enjoying their reactions. She released her wand and thought about how much larger she wanted to make the space before casting the spell.

“Holy shit!” Tony yelped as the walls seemed to move. “And you're telling me if I go fly outside, I won't notice a twenty foot bulge in the side of my building?”

“Nope. Completely undetectable.”

“Wow.”

-0-0-0-

Steve knocked on the door to the lab. He'd had to ask FRIDAY where Hermione was and found her holed up with Tony and Bruce. His knock startled the three of them away from what looked like a series of small pots on a table he was sure hadn't been in the lab before.

Three sets of startled eyes blinked at him, but he really only saw _her_. Her hair was pulled back, curls had escaped and seemed to float around her flushed face. Her clothes looked soft and rumpled and he was taken by the urge to scoop her up for a hug. Instead, he asked, “Have any of you eaten? From the looks on your faces, I'm guessing not. Its dinner time and Sam made waffles.”

“Oh Merlin! It's already supper time? Where has the time gone?” Hermione walked closer and he held out his arm for her to take without thinking. Her hand was warm on his arm and he placed his other hand over it, leaving Bruce and Tony to follow.

  



	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I’m on mobile this week but still wanted to update. I’ll try and come back and fix any formatting mistakes when I can.

When they walked into the kitchen, the first thing Hermione noticed was the warm and slightly sweet smell of waffles. The second was the way all eyes seemed to focus on her hand still laying on Captain Rogers arm. She thought he would pull away, but he didn’t and she didn’t. It wasn’t until he led her to the empty spot next to Sergeant Barnes and settled in next to her that she wondered if she should have taken her hand away.

Before she could reach for a plate, James had already set one in front of her, soon topped with a waffle that Steve had grabbed from the pile in the middle of the table.

“Do you want some juice?” He asked as James placed syrup and an assortment of fruits in front of her.

She met his earnest gaze with her own slightly bemused one, “Do you have pumpkin?” She said the first juice that came to mind. The confusion on his face had her backpedaling quickly, “Of course you don’t. That’s not a muggle thing.”

“Pumpkin?”

She turned to look up at James. His lips were twisted slightly in distaste and Hermione’s eyes seemed to catch there, unable to look up into his eyes. Do men usually have such soft looking lips?

She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t notice that she was staring. Or that he was looking at her neck.

“Where did you get this?” He brushed the back of his hand against the thin scar on her throat.

She shivered, “Um, tha-that I got during the war.”

“You were in a war?” This was, surprisingly, from Natasha.

Her attention drawn away from the soldiers around her, Hermione noticed everyone gathered watching her avidly. Their gazes were understanding, and she was suddenly engulfed in a feeling of camaraderie.

She looked down at her waffle, which still had butter melting in the center, “Yeah, I was.” Her voice was soft and sad, she swallowed thickly and forced a laugh, “Still, this is nothing.” She waved toward her throat, “You should see some of the other ones.”

Steve placed his large, warm, hand in the middle of her back. His fingers lightly brushed back and forth, barely moving the fabric of her shirt. The motion was soothing and her smile relaxed from something forced to something more real. Tony watched her with knowing eyes from across the table.

“You should have seen her in action today.” Tony said, diverting their attention slightly.

“In action? You said you would come with me to the gym tomorrow!” Clint said indignantly.

“I didn’t fight anything more than a stubborn cauldron.”

“I’m still not sure how she did it. Kept pulling things out of this tiny beaded bag.” Tony held up his hands to show the size of the bag, “It doesn’t obey the laws of physics at all.”

“Magic, Tony. I keep telling you.” She teased. She looked back at Clint, “I might need a rain check on that. I’d like to focus on this new potion I’m working on, it’s a bit tricky.”

Clint nodded, “No rush, really. I’d just like to see what you can do.”

“I think we all want to see the things you can do.” James said with a grin. When she looked up at him sharply, he bit his bottom lip and released it slowly.

“Wait, back up. Potion? Like cackling, hunched over, Macbeth type potion?” Sam asked with forkful of waffle pointed at her.

She looked over at him, glad for the distraction, “Well, I’m not into divination, too many bad experiences, and that potion they were making was awful. A ticking time bomb really. And Shakespeare being a wizard himself! He should have known better than to have them add the eye of a newt and the wool of a bat in the same cauldron! Completely unsafe…” She trailed off as she realized she was babbling and they were staring. “Sorry, I get a bit carried away sometimes.”

“Oh, no. This is fascinating!” Sam assured, “How do you know Shakespeare was a wizard?”

Hermione snorted around a mouthful of waffles. “These are delicious Sam.” She swallowed and took a sip of juice before continuing, “Please, the man was sent so many warnings for flaunting the statute of secrecy in front of muggles. I mean, using partial human transfiguration to give a man a donkey head? Then convincing a few dryads to parade around as fairies? He had a point though, everyone thought it was just costumes. Kept him from getting in too much trouble.”

“So, what kind of potion are you working on?” James asked, his attention fully on her.

She blushed, and quickly turned to Bruce. He shrugged, “It’s your hypothesis.”

She cleared her throat and licked her lips, completely missing the way Steve and James suddenly focused on her lips. “I’m working on a variation of the wolfsbane potion for Bruce. If it works, he’ll keep his more human mind while in troll form.”

The table was silent for a full two minutes and Hermione took the time to finish off her waffle and pop a grape into her mouth from the assorted fruit Steve had spooned onto her plate.

“A troll? How the hell do you even know something like that?” Clint finally asked her.

“Fought one when I was twelve with a couple of friends.” She told them nonchalantly. When Tony choked on his drink, she realized they were all picturing her fighting the Hulk. “Oh! No! I mean it was a troll, but a mountain troll and there were three- I’m not doing a good job of explaining this am I?”

She looked up at Steve and he shook his head ‘no’ and she sighed.

“I was hiding in the bathroom on Halloween…”

-0-0-0-

After dinner, Hermione had wandered through the bottom most level Tony had told her was storage. When he’d said ‘storage’ Hermione had assumed floors of boxes and containers and closed doors. What she found was all that, and a ridiculous amount of people whose only job seemed to be to wander the area. Any time she’d even gotten near a closed door that had the word CLASSIFIED on it, she’d been asked by no less than three people if she was lost. She’d told them she was new and exploring and they would smile and nod, but wouldn’t walk away until she did. Worried they would get suspicious if she kept wandering the floor, she picked out a promising looking spot and took a mental note of where it was before going back to her room.

Once back, she checked that her muffiliato charm was still in place, then pulled out her two-way mirror.

“Harry Potter.” She said clearly and waited. A minute passed and fog still clouded the mirror. She put it away and pulled out the journal.

Harry, are you there?

She left the journal open and sorted through her luggage, hanging and folding everything she’d brought. By the time she was done, he still hadn’t written back. She sighed and looked at the clock - 9:30pm. She debated staying in her room and waiting until it was later, but really, most people will have gone home by now, she thought. Decided, she made her way down.

It only took Hermione a few minutes to find the hidden door she'd thought she spotted earlier hidden behind some shelving. Checking to make sure no one was around, she cast a reveal spell to make sure no one was behind the door she wanted to open. When it came back clear, she nearly giggled in delight. A quick alohomora and the shelf slid open smoothly into a hallway that ended with a single door. At some point, she'd really have to let them know their hand scanning panels and alarms didn't work against her magic.

Maybe.

Eventually.

With another quick look, she slipped into the hallway, making her way to the door. She’d just laid a hand on it, when someone spoke.

“What are you doing?”

Hermione jumped and whirled around, hand out. A shadow separated itself from the wall near the fake shelf actually a door she’d just opened and Hermione recognized it as James, the glint off his metal arm giving him away. “You scared me!” she accused and took a step away from the door marked ‘PERSONNEL ONLY’

“I see that. Is there something I can help you with, doll?” He grinned and something in Hermione's stomach fluttered.

Probably nerves from getting caught.

“Uh, no, I'm okay. Just um, looking around. Exploring a bit since it seems I'll be here awhile and I don’t foresee finishing the tour with Tony.” She waved a hand and his eyes followed the motion. She took another step away from the door.

“I see.” He moved closer and held his arm out to her, “Can I escort you on your explorations? I’ve been here for a while now.”

Hermione bit her lip and had to will herself not to look back at the door behind her. The evidence against her was incriminating enough. Tentatively, she placed her hand on his arm and allowed him to lead her out. The door closed smoothly behind them. As they continued silently down the hall, Hermione finally burst.

“You’re not going to tell on me, are you?”

James stopped, pulling her with him, and looked down at her. A slow smile crept across his face and Hermione suddenly found herself rather lightheaded.

You have to breathe.

“I won’t tell.” She inhaled noisily, “If you do something for me in return.”

The breath rushed out of her. The look in his blue eyes was slightly wicked and she was certain in that moment she’d agree to anything. “Wha- what can I do for you?”

He moved to face her and took a step forward.

She took a step back.

With each step he took, she took one too until her back was against the wall. He leaned in and placed his arms on either side of her, caging her in. In that moment, Hermione was fully aware of just how small she was. She sucked in a shuddering breath and ignored the voice in the back of her mind reminding her she barely knew this man. Right now, she just didn’t care.

He leaned down, his long dark hair framed his face and his nose was a breath away from touching hers.

He’s going to kiss me. She thought giddily, and closed her eyes. Her lips seemed to part on their own and she could feel his warm breath on her cheeks.

His nose skimmed against hers and she tilted her head back and… nothing.

She waited a heartbeat longer, but already knew he was gone before she opened her eyes. She tried not to let disappointment take over, even though it was clawing at her chest. As she pushed off from the wall, a woman she didn’t recognize came around the corner. Hermione let out a relieved giggle, suddenly sure he’d left because he heard someone coming. After quickly explaining that she’s been lost, she left the security guard behind.

As she fell asleep, thoughts of Captain Steve Rogers and Sergeant James Barnes danced across the backs of her eyelids, and she drifted off to sleep with a smile.

 


	10. Chapter 10

_She was running through collapsed corridors. Each spell that flew past could be her last. The blank faces of her friends and family stared up at her as she ran without actually going anywhere, each face she saw more horrible than the last and startlingly clear through her tears. She cried harder as each one came into focus; Ginny, Luna, Neville, Ron, her mother, her father…. Eventually her vision blurred until she only saw accusing eyes in the rumble around her. Part of her knew she was dreaming, the other urged her to run faster, she was running out of time…. as she rounded the last corner, she fell to her knees and let out a guttural scream. Harry’s green eyes were blank and his battered body lying at the feet of a smiling Voldemort. She hadn’t managed to save anyone. Now she’d really lost everything…._

“HERMIONE!!” **thud!** “HERMIONE!”

She jerked awake, clutching the damp sheet to her chest.

“Stand back!”

She heard a whine that reminded her of high powered wires.

“WAIT!” She called out. If they tried to hit the door with anything, it would bounce off her wards. She cursed herself for not remembering her silencing charms or taking a dreamless sleep potion earlier. But it had been some time since her last nightmare and she’d hardly expected to have one here of all places. “DON’T THROW ANYTHING AT THE DOOR!” She shouted and scrambled out of bed, tripping over the tangled sheets, landing with a small ‘oof’ before getting up and pulling open the door.  

Tony immediately lowered the Iron Man gauntlet he’d been aiming at the door. Standing on either side of him were Steve and Bucky, looking alarmed. Behind them were Clint, Natasha, and a slightly rumpled looking Bruce.

“I’m okay.” She quickly assured them, standing to the side so they could see into her room. The destroyed bed was the only thing out of place and she watched them visibly relax. “How- how did you know?” Her voice was hoarse from screaming, but she knew she hadn’t been _that_ loud. There was no way they heard her from floors above.

“FRIDAY alerted us when you began screaming and were unresponsive.” Steve told her. He was clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides.

“When we got here, we could hear you screaming, but it was as if you were far away.” James looked into her eyes, and something in their blue depths dared her to look away. She didn’t.

“That was probably the muffling charm. I forgot to add silencing charms. But with the muffling charm you can still hear voices, they’re just indistinguishable.” She explained.

“Is that why we couldn’t get in either?” Tony asked her, his voice tight.

Hermione tore her gaze from James and looked over them again and recognized the way they were looking at her. They were _worried._ “I’m okay, I can take care of myself you know.” She told them, “I’ve only been here a couple days, not long enough for you to start worrying about me.”

Tony’s smile was as tight as his voice, “I don’t think you get to decide how we feel, dear.” He looked away then back at her, “Are you going back to sleep?”

She hesitated and that seemed to be all the answer he needed. “FRIDAY, alert anyone who’s awake that we’re having a movie night in the theatre, if they’re interested.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I can hang-”

Steve cut her off, “None of us will sleep either. Humor us, please.”

She looked up and up and up at him and found she couldn’t make herself say no when he was looking at her with his blue eyes full of concern. “Okay.”

Clint, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, “Are those cats on your pajamas _moving?”_

-0-0-0-

Steve’s heart was still pounding wildly against his rib cage as they made their way to the elevator. From the look Bucky gave him, his best friend and lover was feeling the same way. Steve just wanted to bundle her up in blankets and take her back to their room and maybe rub her back until she fell asleep cuddled between them. At least they were going to watch a movie together, even if the others would be there too.

When FRIDAY had told them she was in distress, neither of them had hesitated to run to her. When they couldn’t open her door, no matter how hard he and Buck tried, he’d felt the panic rising in his chest with every muffled scream. It had been that last, absolutely heart wrenching, scream that had made Tony pull on the Iron Man gauntlet as they continued to shout her name. Not even a second had passed before she was calling out to them, her voice sounding like it was coming from the far end of a corridor and through two walls. Even to his super hearing. When she’d pulled open the door - her already wild hair even wilder, wide red-rimmed eyes, and her shorts and tank top rumpled - it had taken Bucky’s hand holding the back of his shirt to keep him from scooping her up in his arms. Instead they’d hung uselessly at his side as he’d flexed his hands, contenting himself with looking at her. His eyes skimmed over the top of a thin scar that started at her collarbone and disappeared under the neck of her top.

And when Tony had suggested they watch a movie - he knew _he_ wouldn’t be getting sleep anytime soon - Steve could have kissed him. It was a bit of a squeeze, getting them all into the elevator. He and Bucky had maneuvered themselves until Hermione was pressed between them. Bucky at her front and Steve at her back. She held herself stiffly between them, trying not to touch, he assumed. Multiple times he had to stop himself from reaching out and wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her back against him.

“So why couldn’t we get in?” Tony asked her from front of the elevator.

Hermione leaned around Bucky, but lost her balance and reached her hand out to steady herself against Bucky’s back. Steve saw the way he stilled, muscles frozen under her touch. She seemed to notice too and pulled her hand away slowly, then stepped to the side so she could answer Tony.

“It was the wards I placed. Unless I invite you, only I can get in. Like vampires.” She told them, face completely serious. He could see the questions forming in Tony and Bruce’s eyes, but she continued before they could ask, “It’s also why I didn’t want you blasting the door, it would have bounced back at you.”

“Is there anything you _can’t_ do?” Natasha asked her, completely serious.

They all focused on Hermione; Steve shifted slightly behind her even as Bucky shifted in front of her, trying to shield her from their gazes. When Hermione laughed, his heart fluttered at the genuine sound. So open and carefree, even after what had obviously been a terrible nightmare.

“There’s plenty I can’t do. Against another magic user, I’m not all that impressive.” She told them. Steve noticed the way Tony eyed her disbelievingly and he remembered what Fury had told him about her helping protect the world from that… person. He snorted and she turned to glare up at him. He just smiled back down at her and gently brushed his knuckles against the small of her back. She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again.

Tony spoke up before she could, “By the way, since you woke us all up at three in the morning, you don’t get to pick the movie.”


	11. Chapter 11

“I didn’t know we were having a sleepover friends. Why was I not invited?” Thor’s booming voice startled Hermione awake and, judging from the sounds around her, she wasn’t the only one. “Jane and Darcy have told me of this custom. Tell me, were stories exchanged or did you paint nails?”

Hermione tried to move and was stopped as she realized she was stuck between two _hot - How can they be this hot and not constantly be sweating?_ \- heavy bodies which had _also_ tried to move at the same time she had, tangling them even further. “Ouch! That’s my leg!” She gasped as Bucky’s metal hand tightened around her thigh. It’s hadn’t _really_ hurt, but part of her thought it should have and she’d reacted accordingly. “And my hair!”

“Sorry!” Steve said and he tried to pull his fingers from her curls which seemed to have wrapped around his hand.

“Are you okay, doll?” James asked, concerned.

“Steve! Quit tugging, I’ll help you. James, I’m okay. You didn’t hurt me; I was just surprised.” Hermione said as she reached up to untangle Steve from her curls.

“I was not aware the new little mage had engaged in a relationship with the soldiers. Have I been on Asgard longer than a day?” Thor was smiling widely at them, clearly pleased with the presumed relationship.

The three of them froze as all eyes turned to them. Hermione was almost certain her face would catch on fire and, endearingly, Steve seemed to be in a similar predicament. With stunning clarity, she realized how they must look. Bucky’s hand still high on her thigh and his head near her belly. Her face burned hotter as she remembered how he’d practically burrowed his face into her thighs the night before as he began to fall asleep. Her head was still mostly cradled on Steve’s bicep from when he’d put his arm around her shoulders during the movie. The hand he’d gotten stuck in her hair during the night prevented her from moving far.

“It’s not what you think!” Hermione said too loudly in the suddenly quiet room. “We aren’t- this wasn’t- we were sleeping.” She finished weakly and sent a pleading look first to James, who was grinning, then Steve, who smiled bashfully.

Hermione swallowed thickly and quickly finished untangling Steve’s fingers from her hair. She stood, dumping James from her lap, and smiled ruefully at Thor. “Thank you for waking me up. I have a busy day and need to get started.” She turned to face the rest of the room and its occupants, “Thank you all for-for everything last night.” She made eye contact with Tony, then Bruce, “See you in the lab.”

Avoiding looking at anyone else, she went back to her room.

-0-0-0-

Hermione stared down at the notebook in her hand and scowled. Harry still hadn’t responded and, while it had only been a little over a day, she was getting worried. She knew he wasn’t always good about checking things, but she’d thought he’d at least have the mirror on him…. she chewed on her bottom lip and thought. He _could_ be on a mission and unable to respond _or_ he could be sick and also unable to respond. She had to hope it was the former and that when she finally got his owl, he’d have an explanation.

As she made her way to the lab, Hermione thought about the map of the Tower sitting on her desk and currently disguised as a map of Manhattan. The place was like a rabbit warren, with connecting tunnels and some tunnels leading nowhere at all. Once again, she was reminded of Hogwarts and she grimaced as she was hit with a pang of homesickness. After Hogwarts, she thought the peace and quiet of her own flat would be close to heaven, but soon found it was a little _too_ quiet and peaceful. She’d found herself at the Burrow more and more often until… She shook her head to clear the sad turn of her thoughts.

“Little Mage!” Tony called out as the door slid open and she was hit by a wave of mixed noises. Tony had his music just shy of rattling the equipment and his robots continued to work behind him as he stood to greet her, adding their soft whirring to the general chaos.

“Tony!” She called back warmly, “and Bruce!” She studied the two men, “Did you even go back to your rooms?”

“Course we did.” Tony scoffed “Come on, I wanted to show you something.” He took her by the arm, tugging her along behind him. She waved at Bruce from across the lab and followed Tony.

“Is that the arc reactor?” She asked and tilted her head to one side, trying to get a better look at what was displayed on the screen in front of her.

“Yes and no. See, currently the arc reactor is the cleanest energy in the world and-”

“Ehh”

“Eh? What do you mean ‘eh?’” Tony crossed his arms and faced her.

Hermione mirrored his pose, “Well, I mean it’s great, but it’s not _completely_ clean, is it? Not that you know for sure? This has basically been a prototype running your Tower for… almost eight years?”

“Eight years is a long time.” Tony narrowed his eyes at her and, unnoticed but them, Bruce set down what he was doing and rolled closer.

“I agree, but not exactly enough to be considered _long_ term. Wouldn’t you agree? Or, wouldn’t you agree if I was talking about anyone else’s tech?”

A smile played at the corners of her mouth when Tony pursed his lips.

“Okay, so we don’t know the official long term effects. All the tests we’ve run so far are completely clean! And once I can change the core, which _is_ what I wanted you to see, it should be even more effective and last longer and what exactly do you know that is cleaner than my arc reactor anyways?”

Bruce was almost right behind Hermione now, watching the two interact.

“You’re not going to like the answer.” She said teasingly.

“Is it magic?” Bruce asked and finally stood from his chair, his own grin in place.

“You know, it _is_.” She said and turned to wink at Bruce.

“You know- I can’t- that’s not _fair.”_  Tony complained and threw his hands in the air. “Fine, how is magic cleaner? Can we apply it to my current design? Is this something you’d want to help me with or is Brucey-poo taking up all your time?” Tony asked her sincerely and eagerly.

She considered the potion, it was still in its experimental stage and needed to brew for at least three full days before she even added the next ingredient. “I’ve got time. The next three days are yours.”  

“Perfect!” Tony said and sat in his chair, spinning around as he asked “Will you be joining us, Bruce?”

“I’ll hover and make the appropriate shocked noises when you two figure it out. However, I’m busy with this.” He waved a hand at his lab tables and screens.

Hermione nodded, and called her own chair over silently. As it rolled into place beside her, she sat and joined Tony at his desk, her mind already bent to this newest project.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N
> 
> I realized I don’t have an exact timeline on this, but at the end of 11, Hermione has only been in New York for about 3 days. We time hop a bit in this chapter, but only by a few days.

 

“Why can I not read you?”

“Merlin’s balls you startled me Wanda!” Hermione said even as she waved her wand over the hot chocolate she’d spilled on her shirt.

“Apologies.” Wanda said, but the twinkle in her eye made Hermione think she probably wasn’t too sorry that she’d startled her.

Hermione waved off her apology, it wasn’t Wanda’s fault she was jumpy lately. She’d been on edge all week and _still_ hadn’t heard from Harry.  She was already planning to head home to check on things, she couldn’t help feeling like something was wrong. “What did you ask, again?”

Wanda smiled and sat down across from her. Hermione held up her mug of cocoa and pointed at it, silently asking if her midnight companion wanted one. Wanda shook her head and continued, “Your mind. With everyone else, I can at least sense their mind, with you? Nothing.”

“Ah. That’s probably the occlumency shields.” She’d just taken a sip from her mug when a thought occurred to her. “Have you tried very hard?”

Wanda shook her head.

“Would you?” Hermione asked and set her mug down.

“You want me to try and break the wall around your mind?” Wanda asked, seeming dubious.

“Yes. I know they work against most witches and wizards, but you’re not a witch. Or, not in the same way. I was wondering if you might be a muggleborn or a squib with talents the testing brought forth?” Hermione began explaining rapidly, getting more excited as she went on. “I wouldn’t know for sure without some trying a few things, testing for latent magic and such. In _fact,_ if you’re amiable, maybe we could try sometime soon? See, I came here to try and find something to help my fellow witches and wizards and while your magic isn’t exactly the same, maybe if we recreate whatever brought forth your talents it would-”

“You don’t want to put your friends and family what I went through.” Wanda cut her off. “I wasn’t the only one they tested. My- my brother and I were lucky to survive. Do not pursue this.”

Hermione opened her mouth and then closed it again. Unsure what to say. The pain in Wanda’s eyes was something she recognized. She’d been so focused on finding a solution, she hadn’t really considered the means. “I- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-to lessen what you and your brother endured. I didn’t know.” She stopped and twisted her lips before she could put her foot in her mouth again.

Wanda spoke first into the silence that had fallen, “Do you still wish for me to try and break through your shields?”

“If you don’t mind.” Hermione watched as a red, almost mist like, light began to grow between Wanda’s hands and wrap around her fingers. “Does it hurt?” Hermione asked, more curious than concerned.

“There is rarely physical pain.” Wanda said and came to stand behind Hermione. “Ready?”

Hermione nodded and closed her eyes, unsure of what would happen.  At first, nothing seemed to change. She was safe and secure in her own mind and she breathed a little sigh of relief. She’d withstood more than this before… she laughed a bit and suddenly she was back at the Burrow surrounded by the people she loved. Harry on one side and Ron the other and they were all laughing, happy and safe and warm after the war. She hadn’t felt so safe in so long… now she was surrounded again, but this time it wasn’t the warmth and comfort of family.  It was _heat_ and _passion_ and lips on hers and… she was in St. Mungos. Below her, Ron was on the bed, his face so pale, each freckle stood out and he was glaring at her.

“How could you let it get his bad?” He asked around a cough. His body had weakened without his magic until he wasn’t even able to sit without assistance. Before, the wizarding world at large hadn’t realized just how much their magic affected them physiologically. Now, with it slowly being leached away from witches and wizards all over Britain, they were scrambling to figure out just how to stop this disease.

“I didn’t- I’m trying Ron.” Hermione reached for his hand, but he pulled away.

“If you really wanted to, you could figure this out. You’re so smart, why haven’t you figured it out, Hermione?” He accused with hate filled eyes, “It’s your fault I’m like this. You could have saved me.”

His eyes went dull and blank, all life gone from them, but the hurt and anger and pain were still etched on his face. “Ron!”

“Hermione.”

“I’m sorry!” She cried and tried to shake him. Something held her back and she fought against the unseen force. “Please! Ron! No!”

“Hermione!”

She struggled harder and gained a bit of ground as she reached for him once again. “RON!”

“Hermione!” The voice called one more time and she was pulled out of the vision. The calm reality around her was jarring after the vision of Ron.

 Hermione stopped struggling against whoever was holding her. Her body sagged as she began to sob.

“Shhh… I am sorry Little Mage. It is always the most painful thoughts that are easiest to twist.” Wanda soothed and led them back to the couch.  She pulled Hermione down next to her and continued to rub her back as Hermione cried.

After a bit, Hermione hiccupped to a stop. “Not you too. Thor called me that _once._ ”

Wanda laughed softly, “It does seem fitting.”

Hermione sat up and tried to give Wanda a smile, it didn’t quite work. “It’s odd hearing you call me “little” when we’re almost the same age.” She sighed and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. “It wasn’t- it wasn’t like that, you know? He… he wasn’t so…” She trailed off. No, Ron hadn’t accused her or even been upset with her, but she felt like he should have been. “He was one of my best friends.” She finished and met the other woman’s understanding gaze. “I’d appreciate if you didn’t mention what- what I saw, to anyone.”

Wanda nodded and squeezed her hand, “I will keep this between us.”

-0-0-0-

Hermione threw herself into the potion for Bruce.  She hadn’t been able to help Ron or Hannah or Ernie, but she could help Bruce and search for the tesseract and maybe between those things, she could keep her sanity and not dwell too long on the people she hadn’t been able to help.

“Here.” Tony said from beside her and pushed something into her hand, “Drink this.”

Without bothering to look up from her stirring, Hermione nodded her thanks and took a sip from the water bottle he’d given her. “Eugh! What _is_ this?” She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to figure it out. It tasted like crushed plants and- and, “Is that coconut?”

She tried to hand him the bottle, but he stepped back and took a swig from his own water bottle. “You get used to it.” He told her, “And you need to drink it.”

“Why?”

“Because I noticed that you, like me, are a workaholic. And that you, also like me, forget to eat while working on a project. But you, _unlike_ me, don’t even try and get all your daily nutrients. So, I put them all in this shake.” He took another swig. “It’s good for you. Drink it.”

Hermione bit back a smile at Tony’s attempt to take care of her. She appreciated it more than she knew how to tell him. She was used to taking care of those around her, not the other way around. She took another cautious sip while he watched. It wasn’t _so_ bad, she supposed, not too bad at all.


	13. Chapter 13

Hermione was fairly certain she hadn’t seen her bed in at least three days, but it could have been five.

It had officially been over two weeks since she’d heard from Harry and she felt like an exposed wire, ready to jump and spark over any little thing. Tony had silently been leaving her the shakes he made after she’d almost burst into tears when Bruce asked if she should maybe take a break. When she wasn’t in the lab with Tony and Bruce, who were much better lab partners than any of her classmates, she was roaming the halls of the Tower under a disillusionment charm and avoiding the rest of the Avengers. Once, while exploring one of the unused storage floors, she’d almost run into Steve, James, and Thor and while the charm helped her blend in to the background, it didn’t make her any less solid.

The vision from Wanda had spurred her to push herself harder. She’d been too relaxed and - and having _fun_ when people were dying.

But this, potion brewing and searching, this she could do to help people and she wouldn’t stop until she’d figured something out. Even now, she felt close to a breakthrough.  The first potion hadn’t even made it to the testing phase. She’d taken one look at the vicious bright green liquid in her cauldron and she had vanished it. But this one seemed promising and it was almost the exact same shade of bubble gum pink that Tonks used to sport. She held her breath, nervous, as she went to add the last ingredient. She only need a little of the _arnica montana*_ to finish the potion off. As she tipped her vial, Vision phased through the wall behind her work station.

“Aaahhhhh!” Hermione yelled, both in surprise and fear as she watched the entire bottle of _arnica_ disappear into the potion.

“Hermione!” Tony and Bruce called out.

She threw up a hand, and an invisible wall, to stop them from getting any closer. Her reaction lost her time to protect herself as the potion exploded, coating her in the bright pink potion.

“Hermione! Hermione! Are you okay!?”

She opened her eyes and wiped potion away from her mouth. “I’m fine.” She assured them and looked up to see Vision hovering, completely clean. “You let the potion phase through you?”

He nodded, “Ms. Granger, my deepest apologies.”

Hermione sighed, but let it go for the time being. She snapped her fingers in the direction of Tony and Bruce, then took let her wand drop from its holster so she could vanish the potion. _“Evanesco.”_

The potion remained, clinging to her skin and clothes and smelling faintly of raspberries.

“Hermione, are you okay?” Tony asked and reached for her.

“Don’t touch me. I can’t get it to go away, and I don’t know if it’ll do anything to you. I added way too much of that last ingredient.” She pushes herself up. “I’m going to go shower. I hope your drain system can handle this.”

Hermione was too preoccupied thinking about ways to keep Vision from floating into her work area to notice that the elevator door opened before she could touch the button.

“Hermione?”

She looked up and noticed Bucky staring down at her.

“Oh, er James. Are you getting off?”

Bucky thought quickly, “I was coming to see you. Are- are you going up? Wait, why are you pink?”

Hermione stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the guest floor. “Potions accident. Can you talk to me while we go up? I really need to wash this stuff off.”

“Need some help with that?” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Hermione turned to look up at him slowly, her mouth parted slightly. Bucky swallowed hard. Even bright pink, she was adorable. “That didn’t come out right.”

She turned away and looked down and Bucky cursed himself.

“So, why were you looking for me?” She asked, and he a let out a sigh of relief.

“Barton’s been asking about you coming to the gym. Maybe you can show us your moves?”

The elevator door opened, and she stepped out, “Maybe later? After I get this potion off.”

Bucky nodded as the elevator doors slid closed again and smiled.  She’d talked to him.

-0-0-0-

Hermione stepped out of the shower and dressed quickly. She thought about the scene with Bucky in the elevator and couldn’t stop a small smile from forming. _Maybe once I get the other stuff figured out_ , she thought to herself. She had just opened the door to leave when she heard a tapping at her bedroom window. “Aggie!”

Hermione rushed to the window and scrambled to find a way to open it. Not finding a latch, she took out her wand and drew a circle in the glass, vanishing it once the circle was complete. The owl flew through the hole gratefully and settled on her desk. Another tap of her wand and the glass was back in place. She rushed to her desk and sat heavily, taking the parchment from the waiting owl in the process.

 

_Dear Hermione,_

_Glad you’ve settled in and I hope everything is going well._

_After I got off the mirror with you, I got a call about a lead on Dolohov. Sorry I couldn’t call you back, but I’m already in the office and about to head out. I’ll be out of contact for a couple weeks at least, maybe more. I’ll get ahold of you as soon as I get back._

_Not sure how long it’ll take Aggie to reach you, but hopefully you haven’t been too worried. I’m fine._

_McLaggen is already waiting for me._

_Love,_

_Harry_

 

Hermione laughed as she felt the weight of the past two weeks slide off her shoulders. Sure, she still wasn’t any closer to finding the tesseract than she had been before, but _Harry_ was okay, and for the moment, that was more than enough.

“How’d that owl get in here?”

Hermione whirled around to see Steve leaning against the doorframe. His hair was damp, and his shirt clung to his chest in places where he hadn’t quite dried enough. “Steve! Hi! What are you doing here?”

He ducked his head a bit, but didn’t break eye contact, “Wanted to see if you were coming to dinner tonight. You can’t live off Tony’s smoothies alone.”

Hermione blushed from embarrassment. They had welcomed her, well, the _Avengers_ had welcomed her, and she was avoiding them. “I’ll be there.”

Steve nodded and tilted his head toward the still waiting owl, “And the bird?”

“Ah. Right. This is Harry’s owl, Agatha. She was delivering his letter.”

Steve ignored how his chest tightened at the softness and familiarity in her voice when she said the other man’s name. “He couldn’t send an email? Or use the normal post?” Hermione laughed and Steve smiled in response. He hadn’t heard her laugh in what seemed like forever. “You seem to be in a better mood.”

“You know, I am. Much better actually. As for the owl, I forgot how unusual that would seem to a muggle. Technology doesn’t really work in the wizard world. We use owls and the floo and other enchanted objects to communicate.” She turned back to the owl and held out her hand.

Steve blinked when the owl pushed its head into her hand to be pet, reminding him of a cat.

“I’m sorry Aggie, I don’t have a treat for you here. But if you wait a bit, I’ll bring some food back.” As she spoke, she took hold of the decorative paperweight on the desk and waved her wand over it.

One day, Steve was certain he’d grow use to the all the ways magic was used, but right now he watched in awe as she transformed the trinket into a bowl and filled it with water.

“You rest here until you’re ready to fly home.” She crooned, then stood and turned to look at him, “Should we go up?”

Steve backed away from the door, “After you.”

As she passed, she brushed his arm with her fingers. He reacted and brought his hand up to cover hers. They both froze, Hermione looking up at him with wide brown eyes, lips slightly parted, and a few damp curls still clinging to her forehead. They stayed like that for a long moment until she blinked rapidly and looked away.

  
* _arnica montana_ is a variant of wolfsbane that is very rare (according to Wikipedia).  



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